We Used To Be

Chapter 1

A/N Slash is actually canon, I wanted to use a real serpent name but nobody will know him so it doesn’t even matter but I just wanted to let everyone know. He’s pretty irrelevant to the story anyways. Also I wrote most of this on Christmas day and Boxing day lol so we love that. I’m planning on each chapter being >3000 words, this one being the only exception. Just came back, currently writing Chapter 13 and it's so weird to read this, the style has definitely evolved, dare I say I've improved? Also Slash totally makes a comeback, albeit a small one but #bringbackslash

Toni sighed and rolled over, the bird's song screeching through the open window and sunlight streamed in through the half broken blinds. The smell of freshly baked bread seeped into the room from the neighbours house and muffled voices she couldn’t quite make out echoed through the halls of the apartment. Dogs barking, bicycle bells, car horns and trees swaying in the wind, idle chatter, distant engine revving and the sound of coffee brewing filled the air and Toni rolled her eyes. She hated mornings. She grabbed her phone to see no notifications: a bit disappointing but whatever, it’s not as if she had expected anything different, didn’t like to heighten her expectations. She stepped out of bed and trudged over to her counter, grabbed a piece of toast and settled down back onto the end of her bed. Living in a studio did have its perks- she didn’t have to walk far. She caught a glimpse of herself in her mirror opposite the bed and saw a tired girl with yesterday's crusty mascara smeared over an exhausted face and an unwashed oversized shirt with stains of who knows what covering it. Before she could wipe her face however, her phone buzzed with a notification from her small table. This almost surprised her, she thought it was on silent. She reached for the screen which lit up and and displayed the message:

Slash:

where are you?

Shit. She had forgotten about that. Slash was an old serpent who she met up with once in a while. Slash obviously wasn’t his real name but in all honesty she had forgotten it, not that she’d ever tell him. 

Sorry Slash I overslept, be there in 10

~~~

Shoving on a shoe and grabbing her keys, she rushed out the house, stepping over some 4 week old post, which probably contained a load of overdue bills, 3 weeks worth of rubbish and some random postcard from her great aunt in England- whom she had only met twice and never answered despite her constant attempts of contact. She desperately rubbed at her face, trying to get the old makeup off with no avail. Feet crunching on the dead leaves and mud squelching round her shoe, she sped to the coffee shop down the road.

It was a nice place, quite small and very elegant, tucked away in a tiny corner- snug between a records shop and a dying library which Toni also used to frequent.  The sign read 少しコーヒー “A Little Coffee” in Japanese, she had only known that because she had searched it up. A pretty language, Japanese. Very difficult for an American to learn- not that she had the time. Shame the shop wasn’t very traditional, it used to be but since it was taken over it was americanised, still very pretty though. The size suited the place and it meant not many people went so it was very quiet. They also made the best cheesecake. Toni loved cheesecake. Like it was lowkey an obsession. She didn’t think it was a problem though. Not that she had enough time to think about it as she skidded on the entrance mat and flung open the neat little glass door. Her eyes scanned the small space until they landed on a rather muscly looking young man. She made her way towards him with a very sorry looking face.

“Omg Slash I’m so sorry I-”

“It’s fine Toni, I get it” Slash interrupted. He didn’t seem angry, or disappointed which Toni was glad for. He looked understanding and sympathetic which irked her, he acted like he knew what was going on but in reality he had no idea.